Episode 2: L-shape and more :-)

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Ea Ancher
Posts: 2
Joined: 14 Aug 2020, 15:20

Hi Nathalie,

I am doing episode 2 at the moment - with rest days since it is very warm in Denmark these days and my body also needs to recover between trainings. I feel stronger every time I do it, but I have experienced knee pain during this episode which is a bit confusing for me since I have never tried that before in any training (maybe I'm just all of a sudden getting old? :lol: ) and find it hard to see what the cause might be? I started feeling it in the sliding downward dog exercise and the rest of the exercises were affected by the knee pain after that. Do you have any idea why that might be? I didn't feel like I was using the knees in any bad or unusual way so it really puzzled me!

And now the L-shape: I can see that my butt is really sticking out in this exercise and my lower back is arching in a way that I don't think is the intention with this. I don't think your back and butt doesn't look like that in the video :) The problem is that I don't know how to correct it? I tried to tuck my butt but it seemed impossible in that position. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong - am I maybe too close or too far from the wall, my legs too low or too high or what might be the reason - and the solution to this? :)

All the best, Ea
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Natalie Reckert
Posts: 68
Joined: 17 Sep 2019, 21:14

Hello Ea,

Thank you very much for posting your question.

I think it is really great that you are adjusting the program to your own speed, that is really essential as the course is made for a wide range of people. Every persons body is different though.

The first Episodes contain a lot of exercises that contain bending your knees. Mainly in order to gradually build the strength for the actual handstand. I think that is what your pain comes from. In all of the exercises that involve bending the knees, be a bit mindful how much you need to bend and either avoid or shorten those exercises because they should not give you knee pain.

In the L-shape if your butt sticks out, try to focus on pushing the shoulders out/elevating them to your ears and slightly rounding the upper back/flattening the ribs. That should change the angle of your hips slightly. Most importantly it means that your shoulders are stacked properly above the wrists, which is the most important bit in this exercise. Also try to bring your feet up a bit higher in the wall. When I do it it looks like a perfect L-shape but it does not have to be like that. It is about stacking the hips and the shoulders above the wrists properly. Try also to have a little bend in the knees, that takes a lot of pressure off the legs and hips immediately.

Well done for trying so hard, for your determination and patience with yourself and the exercises :)

Let me know if you have any more questions,
Best wishes,
Natalie
Ea Ancher
Posts: 2
Joined: 14 Aug 2020, 15:20

Dear Nathalie,
Thank you so much for your answer - I'm sorry that I haven't responded before now. I took a "live" handstand course so I have had a break with your course but now I'm at it again and just started episode 3 today. I really like it with the dynamic hip warm up and the work with the ball :) I still struggle with the L-position - finding it really hard to tuck my butt in that position but try to focus on getting my shoulders over the wrists and hips over shoulders as you said.
All the best, Ea
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